1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera which converts light from an object to be photographed, into digital data, and stores the digital data.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei. 11-105277, Hei. 11-105285, Hei. 11-105124, and 2000-90663, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a digital camera which converts light into an electric signal by an optical sensor, such as a CCD or the like and further converts the electric signal into digital data so as to be stored in a storage medium, such as a flash memory or the like. The digital camera permits saving of image data and a variety of processes to easily and personally be performed by using a personal computer or the like. Moreover, a photograph can be printed by outputting image data to a printer without a necessity for performing development of a film. Since the print quality of the printer has been improved, a photograph having excellent quality which cannot substantially be distinguished from a film photograph can be printed.
It is preferable that the digital camera has a multiplicity of functions to permit a user to set a multiplicity of required items. To enable the user to quickly change the setting, a multiplicity of input device, such as buttons etc., must be provided. In the foregoing case, assignment of the functions to the buttons cannot easily be understood by the user. Since the size of each button is undesirably reduced, there arises a problem in that the button cannot easily be depressed.
It might be feasible to employ a structure for reducing the number of buttons such that a menu screen is displayed on a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit, to permit a process which must be executed to be selected in accordance with combination of the selected button and a decision button. In the foregoing case, there arises another problem in that the required operation becomes too complicated and an excessively long time is required.
When the menu screen is displayed on the display portion to select a process which must be executed in accordance with the combination of the selected button and the decision button, there is apprehension that the finger of the user undesirably covers the display portion when the button is operated. Therefore, the operation for causing the finger to approach the display portion and move away from the display must be repeated. Thus, there arises a problem in that the operability deteriorates.